For the treatment of chronic and infected peripheric wounds moist sodium chloride compresses are mainly used at present, i.e. compresses soaked in an isotonic or a hypertonic sodium chloride solution. These moist compresses are placed in the wound and then a common bandage is applied. Sodium chloride solution on wounds prevents crust formations and keeps the wound soft and pliable, so that joints can be bent. Besides the epithelization of the wound bottom is facilitated and the secretion from the wound is absorbed into the compress. A hypertonic sodium chloride solution also has a cleaning effect on non-vital wound tissue by osmotically "bursting" poorly vital cells. This solution to some extent also has an antibacterial effect--at least prevents the growth of several types of bacteria.
The disadvantages of this treatment are that it requires several changes a day, that it causes maceration of the wound edges and that it is difficult to perform at home.
The sodium chloride compress however has the great advantage that the patient never becomes sensibilisized by the treatment. On the contrary to this compresses treated with antibiotics, which are used to a certain extent, causes sensibilization in many cases. A new medical dressing Debrisan.RTM., however, has not shown sensibilization and is told to have better absorption capacity than moist sodium chloride compresses. The disadvantages of this preparation however are a very high price and that it is difficult to apply, since the active substance is a dry powder, which easily runs out from the wound.
In the German patent specification No. 577.798 a dressing material impregnated with an oxygen delivering compound, e.g. percarbonates or perborates, is described. Here the purpose however is to effect the secretion from the wound by chemically changing it when it has been absorbed in the dressing, i.e. a quite different effect to that achieved by sodium chloride.
In the German patent specification No. 112.192 is described a sanitory towel impregnated with a solution containing a compound which prevents crust formations of the blood, e.g. sodium chloride is mentioned. This patent is probably based on an important mistake, since it is a well-known fact that menstrual blood normally is fluid and does not coagulate.
This is due to the fact that the endometrium in the uterus has a high content of plasminogen activators. These provides a decomposition of the fibrin possibly formed, which keeps the coagulum together. If a disease in the woman would allow coagulum to be formed in the sanitory towel the salt content would not have any greater effect on the hardness of the coagulum.